Propulsion means for boats



Dec. 12, 1950 J. NAPOLl PROPULSION MEANS FOR BOATS Filed June '7, 1949 v! m P Wm m P M A w W 0Y JB Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROPULSION MEANS FOR BOATS John Napoli, Monterey, Calif.

Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,602

3 Claims. (Cl. 114-0.5)

This invention relates to an improved system for propelling marine vessels, and more particularly to a novel combination by which electrical energy may be generated while a vessel is being propelled through the water or while it is at anchor.

The present invention provides an improved propulsion system for marine vessels which is adapted to operate an electrical generating plant as the vessel is propelled forwardly through the water, or whie it is at anchor or tied up at a dock, thereby generating electrical energy for use in and about the vessel. The propulsion system embodies an electricity generating rotor having circularly arranged peripheral grooves against the sides of which water under pressure is directed as the vessel is propelled forwardly or against which a stream of water from a nozzle is directed by means of a pump while the vessel is at anchor. Suitable controls are provided for selectively controlling the flow of water under pressure against the rotor.

The present invention is a continuation in part of the invention disclosed in my Patent No. 2,456,834, granted December 21, 1948, for improvements in propulsion means for boats.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of a boat, showing diagrammatically an electrical generating plant embodying the preferred principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the rotor;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the rotor; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. 1

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates the keel portion of a marine vessel or other type of boat, 2 the hull, 3 the propeller which is suitably connected to a source of power such as an electrical motor or an internal combustion engine, and 4 the rudder.

The keel portion of the boat is provided with a suitably shaped slotted opening 5 over which is positioned and secured a housing 6 having axial bearings 6' within which is rotatably supported a shaft I which is provided at one end with a pulley 8. Keyed to the shaft I is a rotor 9 which has discs I!) of substantially the same maximum diameter secured to its opposite sides. The discs I I] may be eliminated if so desired by having the opposite sides of the housing 6 arranged in close relationship with respect to the sides of the rotor. The rotor is provided at its periphery with a number of spaced projections or teeth 9' which are uniformly spaced one from the other and which are so shaped as to form spaced open grooves or pockets 9a. The discs l0 enclose the sides of the pockets or grooves. The rotor 9 may be formed with a greater or less number of peripheral teeth and grooves than shown on the drawings, but for all practical purposes satisfactory results may be obtained by providing twelve or sixteen, or as many as thirtytwo, spaced projections and grooves at the periphery of the rotor.

Secured to and extending below the keel I and positioned at opposite sides of the opening 5 are longitudinally disposed spaced members II which provide a channel therebetween. Secured to the keel I and arranged in a depending position beneath the lower projecting portion of the rotor 9 is an enclosure II having an opening at its forward end which is controlled by a valve I2. The valve I2 is secured to a screw I3 which extends through and operatively engages with threaded openings in stationary bearing members M. A hand wheel I5 secured to the screw I3 and operable from the interior of the vessel provides means for operating the valve to open and close the forward opening in the enclosure II. The enclosure II' has a rear opening as at I6. Suitably supported longitudinally beneath the keel I isa tubular member I'I having its inlet end flared and positioned inside the enclosure II adjacent the periphery of the lower rear portion of the rotor 9. The exhaust or rear end of the tubular member I 'I is positioned rearwardly of the enclosure, and associated with the said tubular member is a valve housing I8 within which a valve (not shown) is mounted, the said valve being operable by a hand control wheel I9 from inside the vessel. The valve which is positioned in the valve housing I8 may be opened or closed by the opera tion of the hand control wheel I9 to control the flow of water through the rear portion of the tubular member [1.

A suitable opening 29 in the keel I at a point rearwardly of the large opening 5 allows water to enter a chamber 20 in the lower rear portion of the housing 6. Connected to the chamber 20 is a tubular connection 2| leading to a collector 22' which in turn is connected to the intake side of a pump 22, the said pump being operated by a. suitable electric motor or an internal combustion engine (not shown). A control valve (not shown) operable by a hand wheel 23 from the interior of the vessel is positioned in the tubular connection 2|. Connected to the collector 22' is a conduit 24 which is also connected to the tubular member ll. A control valve located as at 25 in the conduit 24 and operable by a hand wheel is arranged to control water flowing from the tubular member I! to the collector 22.

Arranged in a position for discharging a stream of water tangentially against the rotor 9 is a nozzle 26 which is connected by a conduit 21 to the outlet or discharge side of the pump 22. A valve (not shown) positioned as at 28 in the conduit 21 and ;coptr,oll,ed by aghand iwh eel g29is adapted *to control *the flow -of water from the .pump to the nozzle 26. A discharge pipe 30, connected to the discharge side of the pump 22 is provided as at 3| with a valve @r allowing the water from the pump to be discharged from'the vessel or to be directed upwardly throu h iii-Ire conduit 21.

The pulley 8 secured to the rotor shaft! is connected by an endless belt 32 to angeleetric generator 33, and theflatter is connected electrieally ,hy suitahle wires 2301a sli mg rbalttfity 3.

:Jlfhe el ctr cal. energy prod ced by t l fi 331s stored n e .loatteryfifl vvand vthrou h A outle .wir si1:urn-arrhe suppl rto-gan rdevi erorfmecha- :ni rn on the boat which ,is to be lelectrican v,ln the normal operation of ,the system [when t-he .re sel ,is proceedin forwardly the ,valves [2 sand ar op n thereby a l win water unde pressure ,to -enter the @nclosure ,Ll and itangentially impinge against the lower pfi i lqhfi hl 41 E iect ens :9 of the zro or e9- valves at 23, 25 z?1nd 3 are t en rclosed hand the u 2.2 ,is not :inrqperation. The gn essure of t Wa er {again {the lower part of the '{IQIQKS periphery turns .the ,said rotor and thereby-causes theelectric generater to pperate to produce electrical energy. In

.r ns ane the valve at 1,8 controllin the .ilow t rough th tub ar mem er if! is closed and thervalves-at 2 5 ,and .2 8 gat -phoned. The \water ,is

lthenr r wn .irom -.th.e ubular :member J by the l pu p 22 and directed wit pressur thro h t con uit a 'teend ir mthe nozzl 5 aeainstth l-lperiphery of the motor, thereby causin the fille jtiters-rotation. When-th ve sel-is.dockednaswhen v ith ca i adins operat on is in pro ress, the "flak/$355311 4,2 It, .25 {182C131 are -closed while th creme at 7.2 is se n. Th wa er is drawn drool the chamber 720' hyeth pump '22 ande nhere th n zzl 26 with suffici nt pressure t 1 .84 1 6 the rotation of the ro o 9. t iSe mP z blete caus th ir t rt s wly-operate through s n -tien created by th pump 22 when th -vyalves at -|l,-=,2-,3, and ,Z-8 tare ,closed and the "valves s 125 nds! .ar tqpenin such an instanc th Wate d a n into th -enclosure .H thro h theforward opening ;-in the latter as circulated through the conduit 24, the pump 22 and ,dis-

-= ehareedthroue =the pipe :30. ln ins ances ,where :the maximum power ,is J39 be generated by the system, the valves at I2, 25 and 2B are open while the valves at [8, 23 and 3| are closed. The pump 22 draws the water from the tubular member I! thereby creating a suction which exerts an added pressure upon the rotor 9 in addition to that caused by the forward movement of the vessel. The pump discharges the water thus drawn from the tubular member I! through the nozzle 26, thereby giving increased impetus to g-the' rqtationrofithe rotor.

What I claim is:

1. In a boat having a keel provided with an :opening, a housing mounted on the keel above :thfiiopeningtherein, a shaft rotatably supported by the housing, a rotor keyed to the shaft and lhaving :peripheral teeth, the said rotor being arranged with a portion thereof projecting beneath through the opening in the keel, an enclosure secured beneath the keel and arranged beneath and at the opposite sides of that porrb con o'f the rotor which pr0jec.ts through the meanin in the vkeel, the said enclosure lhavine iwaterinlehmeans at its i-forwardl-ehd and water routlet means at its .r-ear-;end, a pump connected :at its iintake end to :the water :outlet =means, nozzle arranged to direct water tangentially eagainst the zteeth of ;the,-rot or,l-and :flgQQIldHitfCOIl- -,;neo tihg the :discharge end a of the pump with 213116 keel,rthelsaidenclosure having water cinletem-eans at its f orward end :and water .outlet :rneans at .its rear end, control :valves associated withethe inletzelnd outlet means, ,a ;pump connected at lits inlet end to the voutletmeans a nozzleiarrarzlgcxzl to direct a :stream of -.water tangentially against ;th e,ro tor,1and azconduitrconnecting the discharge end zef the pump and the nozzle.

JOHN JNARQLIF l.

REFERENCES CITED The --follow'ing references are :of record :ini'the file ofithis patent: g 1

I E S A ES PA T Date. 

